CHAPTER 444: CHAPTER 444: EXPOSED

To celebrate Claire’s birthday, the product department left work an hour early and headed to the restaurant. Ruby Sullivan even booked a two-tiered cake as a birthday gift. It seemed like this was the most well-attended gathering of the product department, and everyone was very happy.

Since they had work the next day, Ruby Sullivan strictly forbade any second round of partying and promised that once the project was over, she would treat everyone to a fun outing. This lifted the slightly downcast mood to a peak again.

Ruby Sullivan never shortchanged her employees. Although she had learned more about management now and was no longer rashly generous, the benefits she promised would definitely be delivered.

As she was leaving with everyone, she unexpectedly noticed Ethan Sterling standing in the lobby, seemingly having waited for a long time.

Claire and the others had seen Ethan Sterling being affectionate before, so they weren’t surprised by the scene before them. Taking advantage of their tipsiness, they teased the boss and his husband, then left for home in pairs.

Seeing that her subordinates had walked away, Ruby Sullivan hugged Ethan Sterling’s arm. After drinking a bit, her girlish side would come out, which was Ethan Sterling’s favorite part of her.

She knew she would be drinking, so she left her car in the underground parking lot at the company. She hadn’t expected him to come to pick her up, thinking instead that since everyone was so exhausted lately, and it wasn’t too late, she could just take a cab home.

"Why’d you come to get me?" Ruby tilted her head, grinning foolishly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at his profile.

"Isn’t this what a boyfriend should do?"

"Well, yes, indeed." Someone replied haughtily, but couldn’t maintain seriousness for three seconds before bursting into happy laughter.

Ruby Sullivan fell asleep leaning against Ethan Sterling on the way home.

Meanwhile, Skylar Aldrin and Gwen Yates were having a heated argument.

"Get out! I don’t want to see you anymore." Winona Yates pointed to the door, mercilessly saying, "I don’t want to marry a loser, do you understand? How are you going to support me in the future? Through a martial arts school or by working at my dad’s company, being his secretary to stop him from messing around outside?"

Skylar Aldrin believed her harshness was due to bad pregnancy moods, so he didn’t take her mean words to heart.

"You don’t have to worry so much for now. I’m still young, and there are plenty of opportunities. If worse comes to worst, with my family’s connections, I can work in a second or third-tier city government for a couple of years until I get promoted. I swear, I won’t let you and the child suffer."

"I’m not going to have this baby!" Gwen Yates thought of this accidental pregnancy, feeling like hitting her stomach, she screamed fiercely: "Did you deliberately want to get me pregnant?"

She had always been careful about this, so how could she have gotten pregnant? How could she accept having a foolish child?

Skylar Aldrin felt wrongly accused even if he jumped into the Yellow River for cleansing. It was indeed a result of an impulsive moment, but to say it was intentional seemed unfair, after all, who doesn’t have moments where they lose control?

He looked at her pitifully, not knowing how to answer.

Gwen Yates suddenly went berserk, grabbed his luggage, and threw it out, "Get out, right now!"

Skylar Aldrin felt helpless, worried that continuing the argument might affect the baby in her belly, so he obediently left her sight temporarily. He felt a bit useless, knowing he’d be looked down upon by his father if he went home, stood downstairs hesitating for a while, and then dragged his luggage away. At this hour, he didn’t have many places to go besides a hotel.

*

Ethan Sterling opened the door and, seeing who it was, shut it again.

Ruby Sullivan was surprised. Was it some drunk knocking at this late hour?

"Who is it?"

Ethan Sterling glanced at her, "No one."

As soon as he said that, the knocking resumed. This time Ruby Sullivan went to open the door, and Skylar Aldrin looked like he had seen an angel.

"Sis-in-law, please take me in."

Ruby Sullivan blinked, surprised, but still let him in, "What’s going on with you?"

Ethan Sterling glared at him warningly, "If you wake the two little ones, I’ll kill you."

Skylar Aldrin immediately lowered his voice, "My wife is a bit agitated, I’m just taking refuge."

Ethan Sterling raised an eyebrow, "Refuge? Or kicked out?"

Did he have to be so brutally honest? Skylar Aldrin awkwardly looked at him, stammering, "Well, you could say that..."

Ruby Sullivan found his timid demeanor quite cute, her eyes uncontrollably radiating a motherly affection, and she turned to the room to find him a blanket.

Ethan Sterling gestured him to sit on the sofa, "Are you sure you want to know why I’m firing you?"

Skylar Aldrin nodded immediately, "I don’t want to die not understanding."

"You don’t deserve to die understanding." Ethan Sterling lamented his incompetence with a cold comment. Then he brought up a recording on his phone, followed by a woman’s voice. From the room, Ruby Sullivan immediately recognized it as Rhonda Sullivan’s voice.

"I heard your bid for the plot at Zhongcheng failed, congratulations. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, your company’s bid was leaked by me. That little boy surnamed Zhao of yours is quite competent, he tells his girlfriend everything, giving me lots of useful information. Be sure to continue using him heavily!"

Rhonda Sullivan made this call not out of goodwill, for one, Gwen Yates had already said she wouldn’t help anymore, and for another, she knew very well that Skylar Aldrin was someone Ruby Sullivan introduced and protected. As long as she could cause even a bit of unhappiness for her sister, she would be very happy.

Ethan Sterling purely thought this woman wouldn’t bring any good news, so every time Rhonda Sullivan called; he recorded it. This time, he unexpectedly caught something useful.

Skylar Aldrin was dumbfounded, "Who is she? How does she know Gwen Yates?"

Ruby Sullivan’s expression changed as well. She hadn’t expected Gwen Yates to collude with Rhonda Sullivan, if only she’d told Ethan Sterling about Skylar Aldrin and Gwen Yates being together from the start, perhaps there wouldn’t have been today’s loss.

For a moment, she also felt very guilty.

She sighed, "This is my sister, who delights in causing trouble for me."

Skylar Aldrin was too shocked to speak, many thoughts started surfacing in his mind, realizing that every time Gwen Yates asked about his work, it was probing deeply, claiming it was for social surveys and preparation for her post-graduate job, but actually to sell useful intelligence.

Ruby Sullivan, seeing him stunned into silence, felt a bit worried, "Skylar, are you okay?"

Skylar Aldrin took a deep breath, like suddenly coming back to reality, "I was thinking, maybe what she said to me today wasn’t just because she was in a bad pregnancy mood, but because, she truly feels that way... Mr. Sterling, could you send me that audio recording?"

Ethan Sterling picked up his phone to send the audio to him.

Skylar Aldrin abruptly stood up

, "Sorry for the bother." With that, he was about to leave.

Ruby Sullivan, worried that in this state, he might do something foolish upon meeting Gwen Yates, quickly stopped him, "You’re not allowed to leave! Stay here and calm down for the night, think clearly before going to her."

Skylar Aldrin frowned. With things already like this, what more was there to think about? But then he thought perhaps rushing back now might lead to irrational actions, so he nodded, "Thank you."